Learning by Doing : A Comprehensive Guide to Simulations, Computer Games, and Pedagogy in e-Learning

"Designed for learning professionals and drawing on both game designers and instructional designers, Learning by Doing explains how to select, research, build, sell, deploy, and measure the right type of educational simulation for the right situation. It covers simple approaches that use basic or no technology through projects on the scale of computer games and flight simulators. "

Six Criteria of an Educational Simulation

Clark Aldrich has come up with this synthesis [PDF] of this research into educational simulations:
"Specifically, there are six criteria that are emerging as critical, and ultimately not just to simulations but all educational experiences. Three criteria, linear, systems, and cyclical, describe content. And three, simulation, game, and pedagogy, describe delivery."

Desperately Seeking Software Simulations

Nice overview of where, when and how software simulations should be used. It also includes the different types of authoring tools that can be used for authoring simulations -- from apps that create screen caps to apps that automatically create practices, tests and even documentations.

CLO: The Promise of Online Simulations

"This article touches on some fundamental questions about simulations: What topics are best taught through simulations? What are the characteristics of successful simulations? How can simulations best be integrated into training environments? What are the barriers that prevent organizations from adopting them? Only when good answers to these questions are provided will simulations find widespread adoption in corporate training settings."

elearningpost: Going the “Simulation Way”: Q&A with Clark Aldrich

E-learning has a special kind of love for simulations. It's not the head-over-heels, holding-hands variety, but the "Intolerable Cruelty" type of awe, respect and admiration variety, where the love is in the tension of the interaction. And all the audience (learners in our case) wants is for them to "just do it."

Clark Aldrich has done just that. He's gone ahead and created a leadership simulation, Virtual Leader, and written a book, Simulations and the Future of Learning, to share his experiences in creating the simulation and to offer a roadmap for those interested in going the "simulation way."

Having read his book and gone through Virtual Leader, I'm beginning to fully appreciate the value of simulations, and more importantly, the thrill of learning.

Here's a Q&A with Clark that focuses on getting detailed insights for going the simulation way.

Technology Source: Simulations and the Learning Revolution: An Interview with Clark Aldrich

"The good news is that the three elements of simulations -- story and graphics, interface, and complex interactive systems -- represent genuine opportunities for changing how we teach and learn. In order to make the most of their potential, designers will need to invent new, educationally oriented simulation genres. These new genres will be both similar to and different from computer game genres, in much the same way that current computer game genres are similar to and different from one another."

Computer User: Simulation: bringing e-learning to a new level

"Part of the problem is that nobody has shown definitively that simulation training works in the business world. In gauging the impact of e-learning initiatives on sales, customer satisfaction, or overall company performance, training departments don't isolate simulation from other forms of online content, such as workbooks and lectures."

CLO Magazine: The Value of Performance Simulations

CLO Magazine: The Value of Performance Simulations
"If the learning environment only focuses on background information, knowledge of terms and new concepts, the learner is likely to learn that basic information successfully. However, this basic knowledge may not be sufficient to enable the learner to successfully carry out the on-the-job tasks that require more than basic knowledge. Thus, the possibility of making real errors in the business environment is high. On the other hand, if the learning environment allows the learner to experience and learn from failures within a variety of situations similar to what they would experience in the

FlashSim: Tips For Developing Effective Simulations

FlashSim: Tips For Developing Effective Simulations
"Our mantra regarding performance-based training is that it is ultimately about performance improvement, not about building simulations. In that vein, we present a brief list of tips, in no particular order, we have learned in our experience building simulations and simulation-based training..."

ZD Net: Simulation may be the e-learning “killer app”

ZD Net: Simulation may be the e-learning "killer app"
Enterprises that have invested in e-learning have told Gartner that their biggest payback occurs when they include simulation as part of their overall e-learning curriculum. Simulation will evolve to become the "killer application" for e-learning.
Gartner has identified seven categories of simulation:
* Animation or spatial simulation
* Role-playing
* If-then process simulation
* Hands-on practice
* "What-if" interactive models
* Virtual reality or immersive simulation
* Games

Certification Magazine: Simulations: Virtual reality for Certification
For years we have heard mention of simulations and how they will impact the certification industry someday. The reality is that simulations are here now, and they are gaining a critical mass that will ultimately result in a quantum leap in how we are tested. Certification providers such as Novell and Cisco have already incorporated simulations into their exams. Microsoft has announced its own plans to add simulations to its certification testing. Virtually every other major certification provider is exploring similar options.

Learning Circuits: Simulation Levels in

Learning Circuits: Simulation Levels in Software Training
A key aspect to WBT programs is the use of simulations. However, even relatively simple software applications can be extremely complex and require a large range of user interactions. But building a simulation of every application feature makes the training module as complicated as the application. For this reason, instructional designers employ several techniques to simplify simulations for training, including screen capture, point-and-click, data input, multiple paths, and full simulation.